Automatic braking device for automobiles.



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J. E. FISHER, JR. AUTOMATIC BRAKING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1911.

Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ATTORNEYS J. E. FISHER, JR. AUTOMATIC BRAKING DEVICE FOR AUTOMGBILEB. APPLICATION 2mm m. 31. 1911.

Feb. 25, 1913.

' ATTORNEYS new and Improved Automatic Braltin 11ism forautomohiles and motor vehicles 1a general, and lillS designed to he automatia i i JOEL ism-as risers. .e Acres/tame BEAR? Specification i To (ZZZ whom it may concern I Be it known that I, JOEL E: FISHER, Jr citizen oft-he United States, and a res' of New Haven, in the countyof New liar on and State of Connecticut, have invent vice for Automobiles, of ivhich the foil in 'isa full; clear, and exact descripti y invention relates to braking in cally throw n into action to prevent racii ofthe driving wheels of the machine, W; owingto the nature of the road, or from 2 other realise, frictional engagement of or the-driving wheels with the grouni is ened. I i E Tothi'send it comprises a novel a rang on'the top. of the main gear casing; Fi

section ont-heline 33- of Fig. 2, ing in the direction of the arrow; and 4 is a section on the line -i-i of looking in the direction of the arrows.

Orr-the drawings, the numeral 1 indie the frame-Work or chassis of an autoinohmy, or anyother motor vehicle, and 2 inilice I a motor, such as a gas engine, which fur nishes the power'to drive the machine.

3is the. Gran}? shaft of theengine, which transmits motion to the rear axles 4 throw a suitable-form of differential gearing ad cent the rear end oftheshaft 3. The i. 3 passes through a'casing 5, which con sins a speedcontrolling mechanism of ordinary yp nv t i r n the top of the gear casing 5 is a smalier I casing 51; on Whichis mounted in heazring a shaft 6, parallel to the shaft 3. This shaft has a g ear l m its outer end, which n'iesh through a gee-138T with, an equal gear S on the shaft 3, and receives motion therefrom. The shaft; or; screw-threaded for a sh distance inthree separate pieces, ind'ca Application filed March 32;, fi -7.- Serial No. 618,057.

' the numerals 9, 10 and 1.1.

TEW' HAVEN, CfiNNECTIUUT rs Patented HHSQ the left of is arranged gear Wheel he screweel 12 is :munted .o 5 gee Wl th the screw-threaded portion 9 a threaded collar 15; and i2 is arranged to the left of threaded portion 10. This gear internally threaded, but is loo on the shaft 6,, except when it the screw-threads l0 is a similar gear Wheel s mewhat smailer than the gear 12, arr the right of the screw-threaded per; \nl iii, and

maternally screw-threaded like :2 gear 12. rther, like the gear 12, the Li loose 1th respect to the shaft 3. cro n" when i W gee the screw-threads l i will be noted by rel' ig 2,

r the threads on the thr ns 9,

nd 11, are of greater (1m than the iliillQSi, of the shaft 6. in to make the diameter of the at the three threaded portions :uhe no greater than the internai t.

threads on the three threaded portions, so that the gears 12 and 13 and the rollar 15 n move freely around the except 1'11 they are engaged by the threadec porthe hiiellcl with the shaft 6 and n ngs in the opposite ends o2 a third shaft l.-l-, ii is shaft r to be gear connected with minted in casing nding c the drawings,

1r axles l. As shown on a Left-hand axle is used ti his purpose,

e shaft 14: is so gearm wrote rotate in a direction mph 3, and in the oppos i- 1 i to the shaft 5. The "s'two sect-ions ii and i ed by clutch members and l m the adjacent ends oi. those ch 19 is fixed upon the shat. iiull 14 ie the clutch memberi lb is mounted to secured wins. The

in section 14,. The member has '1. huh which has a circumferential thereto receive the forked end oi an arm 16 "igral with the collar 15 on the shaft 6. "he other section 14 carries a pair of gear 'heeis l2 and 13, which mesh r th the ll'S 12 and 13 respectively r to rotate with the shaft A. The two gears l2 and 135 securml thereto and extendi iacent faces toward each oti' have circumferentiai giro ceire the forked ends of h-rvers I late with but slide ioiwitm'lnaliv u Jon.

1 b u s l the lever 21 being for the gear 13, and the lever 22 for the gear 12. These levers have apertures guide-wheels, and are united at'their opposite ends to a brake-beam 23, in such a way that when the lever 22 on the gear 12 moves to the right, the brake-beam 23 will be swung in a clockwise direction to apply the brake to the left wheel, and when the-lever 21 is moved to the left, it will swing the brake-beam 23 in such a way as to apply the brake to the right drive wheel of the machine. The ends of the brake beam are connected by rods 26 to brakes indicated diagrammatically at 27. i

It will be understood that the levers 21 and 22 and 16 permit free rotation of the hubs 20 and 17. At the same time, when lateral movement is given the lever 16, the hub 17 and the clutch member 18 will be moved longitudinally on the shaft 14, and when longitudinal movement is given to either of the gears 12 or 13, and the hub 20 which is carried thereby, the levers 21 and 22 will be moved laterally along the bar 25.

A spiral spring 20" surrounds the shaft 6 between the hubs 20, and acts normally to the threaded force these hubs apart.' be normally attached to one or both of the hubs and keeps these hubs in such relative position to the threaded portions 10 and 11, that they will be engaged by these threaded portions under the proper conditions.

The numeral 24 indicates three collars on the shaft 6, located in the position shown; and 2 1 are spiral springs attached to these collars atone end, the function of these springs being to engage the opposite sides of the gears 12- and 13, and the right-hand side of the collar 15, to keep the gears' and the collar from moving too far away from portions 9, 10 and I1, so that they will be in position to be moved back after they have been engaged by the thread- 9, 10 and 11, and caused to moveed portions a certain distance along the shaft 6.

15' is a spring similar to the spring'20',

and is attached to one of the collars 24, and engages the collar 15, to keep-the collar 15 in position to be engaged by the threaded portion 9, under conditions required.

The manner of operation is as follows:

1 Suppose the right wheel of the apparatus should rest upon the ground, and the left wheel should run into mud'or soft snow, then, owing to the action of the differential gearing connecting the driving shaft 3 to thedriving axles 4, the wheel on the left side will begin to race, and his will cause This spring may portions vthe shaft 1 1 to have very rapid rotation.-

is about l he ratio of the gears 13 and 13 1 to 1, while the ratio of the gears 12 and 12 is about 2 to 1. "If, now, the shaft 6 be turning contrary to the direction of the motion of the hand of will of course be turning clockwise,'and when the shaft 14 begins to rotate so much faster than the shaft 6, the gear 12 will rotate faster than the shaft 6 likewise, and will engage the move to the right, reference being had to a clock, the shaft 14 7a threaded portion 10 and 1 Fig. 2. This will actuate the lever 22 and the cord to swing the brake beam in a clockwise direction and apply the brake to. the wheel on the left-hand side. The gears 13 and vthe collar 15 are not actuated in this case. Suppose, now, the left wheel should be on firm ground and the right one should begin to race; the shaft 14 will now rotate much slower than the result will be that the gear 13, owing to en gagement with the gear 13 on the shaft 14, will move much slower threaded portion 11, and move to the left. This will pull upon the cord-21 moving the brake beam 23 in a counter-clockwise direction to apply the brake, to the right wheel. The right, wheel will thus be checked. Shou1d the propeller shaft 3 reverse at any time, the shaft 6 will likewise. be reversed, causin the threads 9 to engage the collar 15. This will pull the .collar 15, to the left, throwing the dlutch members 18 and 19 apart. The springs 24: carried by the collars 24 on the shaft 6 will prevent the gears 12 and 13, and the collar 15, from traveling too far away of the shaft '6, shown at 9,10 and keep'the gears 12 and 13 and the 11, and

from the threaded shaft 6. The

than the shaft 6, and it will be engaged by the threads on the collar 15 in position to be moved back to their starting points as soon as the shafts 6 and 14 resume their normal speed relations with each other. v.

By means of my improved braking mechanism, the resistance to both movements of the driving wheels is made equal, and should one of the wheels start to race. arti-. ficial resistance is applied in the form of a brake effect to the one that has the less traction, and the power of the engine no longer goes all to one wheel turning uselessly inthe mud, but half of the ower atleast will go to the wheel on the rm ground, so as to force the car forward. \Vith such .a device there is absolutely no danger that an It will be observed, as above, that the braking apparatus is disconnected by the collar 15 throwing apart the clutch mernhens 18 and 1 Thereason-for this is that if the clutch members 18 and 19 were not thrown apart, the brake would be applied- [claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In a motor vehicle, the combination of driving wheels and brake actuating mechanism therefor, and means controlled by the movement of one of said driving Wheels, to throw the said mechanism into action when one of said driving wheels begins to race, to check the same and thus prevent the power of the motor from being diverted from the other wheel.

2, In a motor vehicle, the combination of driving Wheels and a main shaft. to drive the same, a shaft geared to the main shaft, said shaft having threaded portions arranged atdifferent places along its length, a pair of gears loosely mounted upon said shaft, each of said ,gears being located adjacent one end of one of said threaded portions, another shaft geared to receive motion from one of the driving wheels and having gears thereo'nto mesh with the gears on the first-named shaft, and brake applying mechanism actuated by thegears on the first-named shaft, one or the other of said gears on the first-named'shaftbeing engaged by the threaded portions on said shaft to throw the brake applying mechanism into action when one of the driving wheels begins to race, to check the same. I

3. In a motor vehicle, thecombination of driving Wheels and a main shaft for transmitting power thereto, a shaft geared to said main shaft to rotate therewith, said shaft being threaded in differentportions along its length, a pair of gears, each located adjacent the end of a threaded portion on, said shaft, brake applying mechanism connected to said gears to be actuated by the same, a second shaft connected to be rotated from one of the driving wheels and having gearing thereon to engage the gears on the first-named shaft, whereby, when the last-named shaft rotates faster or slower than the first-nal'ned shaft, one or the other of the gears on said first-mentioned shaft will be engaged by the threads on one of the threaded portions thereof and move longitudinally with respect to the said shaft when one of the driving wheels begins to race to checkthe same, and a clutch upon the shaft controlled by one of thddriving wheels, said clutch being arranged to be actuated by a collar-carried by the firstmamed shaft adjacent one of the threaded.

portions, whereby, When the vehicle reverses, the shaft receiving motion from one .of the driving Wheels will be thrown out ofaction.

4. in a motor vehicle. the combination of driving wheels and brake applying mechanism therefor. means controlled by the movement of one of said driving wheels to throw the brake applying mechanism into action when one of said driving wheels begins to race. and to check the same and thus prevent the power of the motor from being diverted from the other wheel. and means for throwing the first-named means out of controlledrelation with respect to the said driving wheel in case said driving wheel moves in the opposite direction.

The combination of a driven member, means for checking the motion of said mem-- ber, means for actuating said. checking means, said checking means and said actuating means having portions adapted for mutual engagementand disengagement, and means for controlling the actuating means to cause said portions to engage when the driven member tends to race, and thus retard the motion of said member.

5. The combination of a driven member, means for checking the motion of said member, means for actuating said checking means, means for operating said actuating means imlependently of said member, and means for coi'itrolling the actuating means to cause the same to become effective With respect to the checking means when the driven member tends to race, and thus retard the motion of said member.

7. The con'ibination of a driven member, means for checking the motion of said member, means for actuating said cho d-ling means, said checking means and said actuating means having portions adapted for mutual engagement. and disengagement, means for controlling the actuatingmeans to cause paid portions to engage when the driven member tends to racy and thus retard the niotioncf said member, and means for rendering the controlling means inopperative in case the driven member starts in the wrong direction.

8. The combination of a driven menr betr, means for checking the motion of said member, means for actuating said check ing means, means for operating said actuating means independently of said member, means for controlling the actuating means to cause toe same to become elfect-ive with respect to the checking means when the driven member tends to race, and thus tard the motion. of the said member, and means for rendering the controlling means inoperative in case the driven member starts in the wrong direction.

- 9. The combination of a driven shaft and brake-applying mechanism therefor, means for driving said driven shaft, means op erated by the driving means for actuating the bralreapplyin'g mechanism when the driven shaft begins to race, to. checl: the

same, means operated by the driven shaft to control the actuating means, and means for throwing'the said controlling means out of operative relation with respect. to the driven shaft in case the driven shaft turns in the opposite direction.

10. The combination of a driven member, means for checking the motion of the same, and means for rendering said checking means inoperative in case the driven member starts in the wrong direction.

,11. The combination of a driven member means for checking the motion of the same,

means for actuating said checking means, means for controlling said actuating means, and means for preventing the operation of the controlling means in case the member starts in the wrong direction. I In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this vspecification in the presence of twosuhscribing witnesses.

JOEL LLIS FISHER, Ja. Witnesses:

TYLER CLARK, v Ems rusH. Hnwrrr. 

